The Cle de Peau website has been updated with the new Fall '08 collection. I like the elegant romantic look featured in the promo image but it's strange that they made the model's hair look so frizzy!
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Coffret D'Or Website Update
The Coffret D'Or website has been updated with the new Fall/Winter '08 base makeup collection to be released on 1 September. The line is formulated with "Moist Layer ingredients" and "Shining Moist Powder" to help maintain the moisture level while enhancing the translucent look of skin to give you that glow from within. The Beauty Essence Gel Foundation also has a "Aqua Covering" complex that helps to maintain moisture.
The Blend Color Blush, which contains a mix of 5 highlight and gradational blush shades, looks like the most interesting item in the collection!
1. Beauty Essence Pact SPF23 PA++: 7 shades
2. Pact Foundation Case (2008AW)
3. Beauty Essence Gel Foundation SPF17 PA++: 7 shades
4. Beauty Essence Veil: Gel makeup primer
5. Makeup Pressed Powder
6. Blend Color Blush: 3 shades
7. Powder Case: can be used for the Blend Color Blush or Pressed Powder
8. Powder Puff
The list of products used on models Shibasaki Kou and Tokiwa Takako can be viewed here and here.
The Blend Color Blush, which contains a mix of 5 highlight and gradational blush shades, looks like the most interesting item in the collection!
1. Beauty Essence Pact SPF23 PA++: 7 shades
2. Pact Foundation Case (2008AW)
3. Beauty Essence Gel Foundation SPF17 PA++: 7 shades
4. Beauty Essence Veil: Gel makeup primer
5. Makeup Pressed Powder
6. Blend Color Blush: 3 shades
7. Powder Case: can be used for the Blend Color Blush or Pressed Powder
8. Powder Puff
The list of products used on models Shibasaki Kou and Tokiwa Takako can be viewed here and here.
Biteki, Voce & Maquia
The September issues of Biteki, Voce and Maquia go on sale today in Japan.
Biteki comes with a detachable catalogue "All Star Colors 1007" featuring the autumn collections from 54 brands.
Maquia features British model Agyness Deyn on the cover. It also comes with a separate fall makeup catalogue featuring 62 brands and an article featuring 10 Japanese celebrities wearing the latest fall makeup.
Voce features actress (and Maquillage spokesmodel) Ito Misaki on the cover. The two themes of this issue are "Passionate Summer Skincare" and "Moving New Makeup". It also comes with a fall makeup catalogue featuring 62 brands and 1028 colours, a Maquillage supplement, a Guerlain supplement that includes a sample of Guerlain's new mascara. Looks like Voce is the magazine to get for this month!
Biteki comes with a detachable catalogue "All Star Colors 1007" featuring the autumn collections from 54 brands.
Maquia features British model Agyness Deyn on the cover. It also comes with a separate fall makeup catalogue featuring 62 brands and an article featuring 10 Japanese celebrities wearing the latest fall makeup.
Voce features actress (and Maquillage spokesmodel) Ito Misaki on the cover. The two themes of this issue are "Passionate Summer Skincare" and "Moving New Makeup". It also comes with a fall makeup catalogue featuring 62 brands and 1028 colours, a Maquillage supplement, a Guerlain supplement that includes a sample of Guerlain's new mascara. Looks like Voce is the magazine to get for this month!
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Sana Maikohan Blushes
I've been lemming Maikohan Cheek blushes since March when they were first released in Japan. Maikohan is a geisha-inspired line of base and colour makeup by Noevir, the same company that owns Sana and Excel. When I read on Cozycot that the Maikohan blushes were available at my local Sasa stores, I didn't waste any time in snapping them up. There are only two shades available, Benisakura ("Deep Cherry Blossom", the pink version) and Akane ("madder flower", the peach version). Sasa sells them for S$31.90 but currently there's a 20% discount on them (until the end of July), so I got them for $25.50, which is just a dollar more than the retail price in Japan :-) I was extremely chuffed about that!
The Maikohan blushes are virtually identical to the Excel Gradation Cheek blushes in terms of the plastic packaging. The only difference is that the Maikohan blushes come with a thin plastic film that can be used to separate the brush from the blush surface, a thoughtful and much-appreciated touch for people like me who are germ-phobes. The Maikohan brush also has a slightly larger handle but otherwise, the texture of the bristles is identical to Excel. And of course, the Maikohan's red packaging and cherry blossom motif on the lids beats Excel's ugly gold packaging hands down.
Here're some photos showing the Maikohan blushes with my Excel blush G2 Strawberry Pink. In terms of price, both retail for 1890yen each.
Of the two, I prefer Benisakura as it shows up better on my skin (I'm MAC NC20). I like to use the most pigmented red strip first followed by a gentle sweep of the paler shades on top for an added glow. The color payoff is pretty good and I got a nice pinkish red glow on my cheeks with just a couple of brushes. It is easy to apply too much at one go so my advice is to go easy on these at first and sweep the brush lightly across the surface of the blush and tap off the excess before applying. The wide surface of the brush helps to ensure an even application, unlike the too tiny brushes that are included by other Japanese brands such as Kiss and Gransenbon. But if you have a lot of redness in your cheeks, this may accentuate that unless you apply foundation and concealer beforehand to cancel out the redness.
Akane looks lovely in the pan but on my skin, it shows up as mostly a nude shimmer without much red. From a distance, it's hard to tell that I'm wearing any blush at all. This would be suitable for people who prefer a more natural or nude look.
Overall, I would rate these a good buy, especially if you like glowy shimmery blushes that are easy to wear and not too over-the-top. The texture is silky and easy to blend. The color payoff is less than Bobbi Brown's Peony Shimmer Brick and Nars blushes but considering the affordable price, they're pretty decent. I like the fact that there are four shades to play with in each Maikohan blush, whereas Gransenbon blushes (which also cost 1890yen) are single tone although the texture is also extremely similar to Maikohan. If you want greater color payoff with a similar texture, go for the Excel blushes if you don't mind the ugly gold packaging.
Check out the official Maikohan website here!
The Maikohan blushes are virtually identical to the Excel Gradation Cheek blushes in terms of the plastic packaging. The only difference is that the Maikohan blushes come with a thin plastic film that can be used to separate the brush from the blush surface, a thoughtful and much-appreciated touch for people like me who are germ-phobes. The Maikohan brush also has a slightly larger handle but otherwise, the texture of the bristles is identical to Excel. And of course, the Maikohan's red packaging and cherry blossom motif on the lids beats Excel's ugly gold packaging hands down.
Here're some photos showing the Maikohan blushes with my Excel blush G2 Strawberry Pink. In terms of price, both retail for 1890yen each.
Of the two, I prefer Benisakura as it shows up better on my skin (I'm MAC NC20). I like to use the most pigmented red strip first followed by a gentle sweep of the paler shades on top for an added glow. The color payoff is pretty good and I got a nice pinkish red glow on my cheeks with just a couple of brushes. It is easy to apply too much at one go so my advice is to go easy on these at first and sweep the brush lightly across the surface of the blush and tap off the excess before applying. The wide surface of the brush helps to ensure an even application, unlike the too tiny brushes that are included by other Japanese brands such as Kiss and Gransenbon. But if you have a lot of redness in your cheeks, this may accentuate that unless you apply foundation and concealer beforehand to cancel out the redness.
Akane looks lovely in the pan but on my skin, it shows up as mostly a nude shimmer without much red. From a distance, it's hard to tell that I'm wearing any blush at all. This would be suitable for people who prefer a more natural or nude look.
Overall, I would rate these a good buy, especially if you like glowy shimmery blushes that are easy to wear and not too over-the-top. The texture is silky and easy to blend. The color payoff is less than Bobbi Brown's Peony Shimmer Brick and Nars blushes but considering the affordable price, they're pretty decent. I like the fact that there are four shades to play with in each Maikohan blush, whereas Gransenbon blushes (which also cost 1890yen) are single tone although the texture is also extremely similar to Maikohan. If you want greater color payoff with a similar texture, go for the Excel blushes if you don't mind the ugly gold packaging.
Check out the official Maikohan website here!
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Recent non-makeup acquisitions
You know how there are some shopping days when nothing strikes your fancy even after visiting several malls but there are some days when it seems like everywhere you turn, there's a new gotta-have-it-now item just begging you to bring it home with you? Well, yesterday was one of those days when I went out not expecting to buy anything but came back with armloads of stuff. My reasoning is that it's not every season that I find unique pieces that I really adore so when I see stuff that I like, I usually don't hesitate to pick them up.
My first purchase was this pair of Mary Jane flats covered in super-bling chunky silver glitter from Topshop. What I liked was the contrast of the sparkly glitter with the demure style, plus it's very comfortable. The original price was S$63 but I got it for $53.55 after the 15% F3 discount. It's listed for 22 pounds on the Topshop site.
Next was this asymmetrical grey top from The Little Voice, which stocks clothes with a Japanese sensibility with many unusual details, at Bugis Junction. This was S$74.80 and it also came with a black obi sash.
Finally, at Zara, I picked up this pair of brown leather strappy sandals which I had been lemming ever since I saw it on the mannequin in the store window at VivoCity. This was S$139, quite pricey but I'll probably be able to get a lot of wear out of this as it has a fairly low heel. Zara is a hit-and-miss store for me. I like their casual TRF line and occasionally, they do fantastic shoes, jackets and blouses but the clothes are cut mainly for lanky Europeans rather than petite Asians. The new collection has many gorgeous floaty silky blouses with flowy sleeves that looked gorgeous on the rack but just seemed to swallow me up when I tried them on. But I found a couple of casual tops and a cute A-line floral-print dress. All in all, it was a most satisfying haul :-)
Now, I just need to resist going back for a second round. I highly recommend the Zara store in Great World City which is much less crowded and not as messy as the other Zara stores in the city. The changing room was virtually empty, and this was on a Saturday evening.
My first purchase was this pair of Mary Jane flats covered in super-bling chunky silver glitter from Topshop. What I liked was the contrast of the sparkly glitter with the demure style, plus it's very comfortable. The original price was S$63 but I got it for $53.55 after the 15% F3 discount. It's listed for 22 pounds on the Topshop site.
Next was this asymmetrical grey top from The Little Voice, which stocks clothes with a Japanese sensibility with many unusual details, at Bugis Junction. This was S$74.80 and it also came with a black obi sash.
Finally, at Zara, I picked up this pair of brown leather strappy sandals which I had been lemming ever since I saw it on the mannequin in the store window at VivoCity. This was S$139, quite pricey but I'll probably be able to get a lot of wear out of this as it has a fairly low heel. Zara is a hit-and-miss store for me. I like their casual TRF line and occasionally, they do fantastic shoes, jackets and blouses but the clothes are cut mainly for lanky Europeans rather than petite Asians. The new collection has many gorgeous floaty silky blouses with flowy sleeves that looked gorgeous on the rack but just seemed to swallow me up when I tried them on. But I found a couple of casual tops and a cute A-line floral-print dress. All in all, it was a most satisfying haul :-)
Now, I just need to resist going back for a second round. I highly recommend the Zara store in Great World City which is much less crowded and not as messy as the other Zara stores in the city. The changing room was virtually empty, and this was on a Saturday evening.
Kose Happy Bath Day
Kose will launch a revamped version of their Happy Bath Day Precious Rose line of bath products on 21 August. Formulated with ingredients such as Bulgarian damask rose honey and rose hip oil, the new fruit rose-scented line features a comprehensive range of products for hair and body.
1. Shampoo N (1050yen, 300ml)
2. Conditioner N (1050yen, 300ml)
3. Hair Pack N (1260yen, 220g)
4. Curl Lotion (1050yen, 200ml)
5. Hair Wax (Shiny): (1050yen, 48g)
6. Hair Wax (Nuance Arrange): (1050yen, 48g)
7. Hair Cologne N (1050yen, 100g)
8. Hair Spray (Soft Keep) (1050yen, 160g)
9. Body Soap N (1050yen, 300ml)
10. Cleansing Sheet: Makeup-removing sheets (399yen, 10 sheets)
11. Fragrance Soap N (210yen, 80g)
12. Mist Cologne N: with notes of rose, cassis, berry, dry amber and musk (1050yen, 50ml)
13. Lip Balm: (630yen, 5g)
14. Essence Butter: body moisturising cream (1260yen, 150g)
15. Milky Body Gel N: body moisturiser (1260yen, 200ml)
16. Body Powder N: pink body powder (1890yen, 35g)
17. Bath Set: single use sachets of the body soap, shampoo, conditioner and milky body gel (357yen)
1. Shampoo N (1050yen, 300ml)
2. Conditioner N (1050yen, 300ml)
3. Hair Pack N (1260yen, 220g)
4. Curl Lotion (1050yen, 200ml)
5. Hair Wax (Shiny): (1050yen, 48g)
6. Hair Wax (Nuance Arrange): (1050yen, 48g)
7. Hair Cologne N (1050yen, 100g)
8. Hair Spray (Soft Keep) (1050yen, 160g)
9. Body Soap N (1050yen, 300ml)
10. Cleansing Sheet: Makeup-removing sheets (399yen, 10 sheets)
11. Fragrance Soap N (210yen, 80g)
12. Mist Cologne N: with notes of rose, cassis, berry, dry amber and musk (1050yen, 50ml)
13. Lip Balm: (630yen, 5g)
14. Essence Butter: body moisturising cream (1260yen, 150g)
15. Milky Body Gel N: body moisturiser (1260yen, 200ml)
16. Body Powder N: pink body powder (1890yen, 35g)
17. Bath Set: single use sachets of the body soap, shampoo, conditioner and milky body gel (357yen)
Biotherm GWP @ Tangs
Just received this flyer from Biotherm, which will be having a GWP from 23 Jul to 1 Aug at Tangs department store. With every purchase of $100, receive a GWP worth $130:
1. Celluli Laser Gel 40ml
2. Biosource Cleanser 20ml
3. Biosource Lotion 30ml
4. Lait Corporeal Body Milk 30ml
5. Aquasource Super Serum 5ml
6. Aquasource Lips 5ml
7. Aquasource Moisturiser 20ml
8. Cosmetic Pouch
Top up your purchase to $160 and receive an additional tote bag and water bottle.
There are also several skincare value sets on sale.
For Biotherm members, there will be a preview special on 23-24 July. Receive $320 worth of gifts with purchase of $200:
1. 11-piece gift set worth $200
2. $20 voucher for instant redemption
3. Full size White Detox Day Cream worth $100
4. Double bonus points
There will also be a Plus Time Evening Party (requires registration) at 6.30pm at Tangs on Friday 25 July with the same members' GWP, plus the first 100 customers to spend $250 will receive a jewellery box. There will also be complimentary goodie bags and refreshments.
I must say Biotherm always has the most generous GWPs and their skincare is quite good, based on my past experience. But having just dropped a bomb on Kenzoki skincare, I think I'll be staying away from this one!
1. Celluli Laser Gel 40ml
2. Biosource Cleanser 20ml
3. Biosource Lotion 30ml
4. Lait Corporeal Body Milk 30ml
5. Aquasource Super Serum 5ml
6. Aquasource Lips 5ml
7. Aquasource Moisturiser 20ml
8. Cosmetic Pouch
Top up your purchase to $160 and receive an additional tote bag and water bottle.
There are also several skincare value sets on sale.
For Biotherm members, there will be a preview special on 23-24 July. Receive $320 worth of gifts with purchase of $200:
1. 11-piece gift set worth $200
2. $20 voucher for instant redemption
3. Full size White Detox Day Cream worth $100
4. Double bonus points
There will also be a Plus Time Evening Party (requires registration) at 6.30pm at Tangs on Friday 25 July with the same members' GWP, plus the first 100 customers to spend $250 will receive a jewellery box. There will also be complimentary goodie bags and refreshments.
I must say Biotherm always has the most generous GWPs and their skincare is quite good, based on my past experience. But having just dropped a bomb on Kenzoki skincare, I think I'll be staying away from this one!
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Majolica Majorca Website Update
The Majolica Majorca website has been updated with the new "A Girl With Wings" collection.
Each seasonal MM collection is always presented as a new "Chapter" on the website done in a cute, whimsical style. The first screen reads,"Girls always have unexplainable, strange dreams. 'Ah, what should I do to escape this world?'."
The first dream: a tower of books. "The bookmark! Must find the bookmark!" Clicking on the bookmark leads to a page introducing the new Lash Gorgeous Wing, which contains long and short fibres for a lush, feathery look.
The second dream: an unstoppable clock. "Must meet the 12 o'clock deadline, or else..." Clicking on the clock face leads to the new Majolook (Trick On) palettes.
The third dream: a flood of tea. "There's already a lot of tea!" Clicking on the teapot handle leads to the two new Majex lipglosses.
List of products used for the Night makeup look (left): Lash Gorgeous Wing BK999, Neo Automatic Liner BK911, Majolook Trick On GR750, Majex lipgloss PK211.
For the Day look: Lash Gorgeous Wing BK999, Neo Automatic Liner BR622, Majolook Trick On BR751, Majex lipgloss BE210.
The website also features two downloadable wallpapers.
Each seasonal MM collection is always presented as a new "Chapter" on the website done in a cute, whimsical style. The first screen reads,"Girls always have unexplainable, strange dreams. 'Ah, what should I do to escape this world?'."
The first dream: a tower of books. "The bookmark! Must find the bookmark!" Clicking on the bookmark leads to a page introducing the new Lash Gorgeous Wing, which contains long and short fibres for a lush, feathery look.
The second dream: an unstoppable clock. "Must meet the 12 o'clock deadline, or else..." Clicking on the clock face leads to the new Majolook (Trick On) palettes.
The third dream: a flood of tea. "There's already a lot of tea!" Clicking on the teapot handle leads to the two new Majex lipglosses.
List of products used for the Night makeup look (left): Lash Gorgeous Wing BK999, Neo Automatic Liner BK911, Majolook Trick On GR750, Majex lipgloss PK211.
For the Day look: Lash Gorgeous Wing BK999, Neo Automatic Liner BR622, Majolook Trick On BR751, Majex lipgloss BE210.
The website also features two downloadable wallpapers.
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